RTV 4930: VIDEO GAME MARKETING
Spring 2015
Anthony Palomba, Ph.D. Candidate
apalomba87@gmail.com (I respond quickest
to this form of communication)
Phone Number:352-846-1048
Office: Weimer Hall G029
Office hours: TBA
Classroom Location: Weimer Hall 1070
Class Periods:
T 2-3
R3
Course Overview
This course will briefly explore the history of the video game industry, but place more
emphasis on its economics as well as marketing strategies, culminating into a marketing project.
Students will learn about the video game industry, its evolution and challenges as well as
understand the underlying business principles behind this interactive medium.
Student Learning Outcomes
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Understand the history of the video game industry
Apply basic marketing and consumer behavior theorems to video game audiences and
firms
Recognize current economic patterns and trends in the video game industry
Have a firm grasp of the movers and shakers of the video game industry
Undestand the interplay between video games and other mediums such as television
Understand how to conduct basic market/consumer insight research from video game
audiences
Textbooks:
Pettus, S. (2014). Service Games: The Rise and Fall of SEGA. N.p.: CreateSpace Independent
Publishing Platform.
Ryan, J. (2012). Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America. New York: Portfolio Trade.
Solomon, M. (2012). Consumer Behavior (10th ed., paperback edition). New York, NY: Prentice
Hall.
There may be additional required readings posted to E-Learning in Sakai. See below for details
about accessing E-Learning in Sakai site.
E-Learning in Sakai
This class has a website available through e-Learning in Sakai. To access the site, go
to https://lss.at.ufl.edu/, select “e-Learning in Sakai,” and log in using your Gatorlink ID. Select
the tab labeled “RTV 4930. Spring 2015.”
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You should check Sakai at least twice per week for announcements and to obtain additional
required readings. If you have problems with Sakai or any computer problems, please contact the
UF Helpdesk by email (helpdesk@ufl.edu) or by phone (352-392-HELP (4357)).
Course Policies
Coming late/Leaving early- Please be on time. Class will start promptly at its designated
time. If you must come in late, please do so as quietly as possible. If you must leave
early, again, please do so as quietly as possible and without disturbing those around you.
After three “lates,” you will be penalized 10 points off your final grade for every
subsequent “late.” Late is deemed arriving to class after I have begun instruction.
Electronic devices- Laptops and tablets may be used in class to take notes. Cell phones
are prohibited and should be turned off at the start of class. Those in violation of
this policy will be asked to leave.
Talking in class- Please do not have conversations with others around you during
lecture. If you have a question or need clarification, please raise your hand and ask
me. Save other discussions for when class is over.
Grades and the 24/7 Rule- When I post any grades, I will send an email to the class via
the listserv. Please wait 24 hours after a grade is posted before contacting me if it is
missing or if you believe it is incorrect in case there is an error. Following this, you have
one week (7 days) to request AND complete a review of an exam or to request credit
that has not been posted. ALL grades are final after one week. This includes any extra
credit points. Any requests received after one week will be disregarded.
Attendance: It is critical that you come to class. As future media managers and
creatives, it is necessary that you show up for work every day. As a result, it is
mandatory that you regularly attend class. You will be allotted three absences before you
are penalized 10 points off your final grade for every subsequent absence.
Late Assignments: There will be a 10% grade deduction if an assignment is handed in
late but within 24 hours of a deadline (each deadline will be at the start of class on the
day it is due). Students will receive a 0 on an assignment if it is more than 24 hours late.
Student Evaluation
Student progress in this course is evaluated through one exam, two case studies, a brand audit
and a final project for a total of 299 points. All students will be granted 1 bonus point if they
complete both case studies and the brand audit on time.
Assignments
There will be two case studies and a brand audit, each worth 33 points (A total of 99). There will
be one midterm in this class, worth 100 points. The final project, a marketing plan for a video
game, will be worth 100 points. All assignments require appropriate grammar, punctuation
and sentence structure, citations and references reflective of a college-educated student.
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Grading Scale
I will be assigning grades according to the following scale:
A
93.00% or more (279 and up)
C
A90.00%-92.99% (270 to 278)
CB+
86.00%-89.99% (258 to 269)
D+
B
83.00%-85.99% (249 to 257)
D
B80.00%-82.99% (240 to 248)
DC+
76.00%-79.99% (228 to 239)
E
73.00%-75.99% (219 to 227)
70.00%-72.99% (210 to 218)
66.00%-69.99% (198 to 210)
63.00%-65.99% (189 to 198)
60.00%-62.99% (180 to 188)
0.00%-59.99% (179 and below)
Academic Honesty
Students in this course are expected to uphold the UF Honor Code:
“On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in taking this
exam.”
If you are caught cheating or helping someone else cheat, you will be subject to sanctions
according to the procedures of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution
(SCCR):http://www.dso.ufl.edu/sccr/procedures/honorcode.php. If you suspect another student
of cheating, please let me know, or call the Cheating Hotline (352-392-6999).
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students
Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to you. You will then provide
that documentation to me when requesting accommodation.
Online Evaluation
Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction in this course based on 10
criteria. These evaluations are conducted online at https://evaluations.ufl.edu. Evaluations are
typically open during the last two or three weeks of the semester, but students will be given
specific times when they are open. Summary results of these assessments are available to
students at https://evaluations.ufl.edu/results.
Additional Information:
Information on current UF grading policies may be found
here: https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/grades.aspx. Additionally,
requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments and other work in this course
are consistent with university policies that can be found in the online catalog at:
https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx.
***I reserve the right to make adjustments to the syllabus as needed***
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Schedule- Asterisk (*) indicates reading posted to Sakai. Readings and schedule are subject
to change at the instructor’s discretion.
Week 1
January 5th-9th
Week 2
January 12th-16th
Week 3
January 19th-23rd
Week 4
January 26th-30th
Week 5
February 2nd-6th
Week 6
February 9th-13th
Week 7
Week 8
February 16th-20th
February 23rd-27th
Week 9
Week 10
March 2nd-March 6th
March 9th-March 13th
Week 11
March 16th-March 20th
Week 12
March 23rd- March 27th
Intro to Class; Why study
Video Games?
Invention and History of Video
Game Industry
NO CLASS January 19th –
MLK JR. Day
Consumer Behavior TBA
Industry Profiles: Nintendo,
Sony, Microsoft
January 26th – First Case
Brief Due
Casual, Midcore and Hardcore
Gamers
February 13th – Group
Proposal Due
Economics of the Video Game
Industry
Branding
Marketing and Promotional
Strategies
February 27th – Second Case
Brief Due
SPRING BREAK
Video Games & Relationships
to Other Mediums
How to Conduct Quantitative
and Qualitative Research
Midterm
How to Conduct Quantitative
and Qualitative Research
Continued
Week 13
Week 14
March 30th-April 3rd
April 6th-April 10th
March 23rd – Brand Audit
Due
In-Class Group Meetings
In-Class Group Meetings
Week 15
Week 16
April 13th-April 17th
April 20th-April 22nd
In-Class Group Meetings
Final Presentations
Final Market Report Due
April 27th at 5pm
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